Statehouse Democrats are calling on Indiana’s congressional delegation to defend former Gov. Mike Pence’s expansion of the state’s Medicaid program from proposed GOP cuts backed by President Donald Trump.
The current vice president’s HIP 2.0 program expanded Medicaid in 2015 with increased funding made available through former President Barack Obama’s heath care overhaul. More than 400,000 poor people in Indiana have health insurance under the program.
But the Congressional Budget Office predicts the introduced American Health Care Act would lead to estimated cuts to Medicaid of $880 billion through 2026.
Indiana House Democrats say in a letter the proposal could cause “dire” results in Indiana.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb says he wants Indiana residents to be able to maintain their coverage and that HIP 2.0 is working.
(STORY BY AP)